South Carolina State University (SC State) received threats against its funding after rescinding invitation to Lt. Governor Pamela Evette to serve as the keynote speaker for its upcoming commencement.
The university’s decision to disinvite Evette has drawn a quick and direct response from members of the South Carolina House of Representatives. In a formal letter addressed to Chairman Bannister, a group of legislators expressed their “deep concern” over the university’s move. Legislators characterized it as a capitulation to political pressure.
Members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus denounced SC State President Alexander Conyers’s decision. The nine signatories hint that the university’s choice to disinvite Evette makes the intuition a “center of indoctrination where conservative views are not welcome.” Most significantly, the undersigned members have officially requested that all state funding for South Carolina State University be removed from the state budget. The legislators stated that if a sitting Lt. Governor is unwelcome and her safety cannot be guaranteed on a state-funded campus, it is “time to defund and reevaluate” the institution’s support.
“We are hereby requesting that no funding for South Carolina State University be included in the second version of the budget. There is no reason why state tax dollars should continue to fund a state institution where not all South Carolinians are welcome. If the Lt. Governor of South Carolina is unwelcome due to different political ideologies and an inability to keep her safe, it is time to defund and reevaluate,” the statement read.
The university had initially selected Evette to address the class of 2026, but the announcement was met with widespread demonstrations on the campus. Student protesters cited Evette’s political stances, specifically her opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices as reasons why she was not an ideal candidate to speak to the students of the historically Black university (HBCU).
President Conyers emphasized that the primary factor in the decision was the inability to guarantee a safe and celebratory environment for the graduates. The university noted that while it values free speech, the potential for significant disruption during the ceremony led to the conclusion that a change in speakers was necessary.
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